The very un-Italian-sounding De Forville family came to Piedmonte from Belgium in 1848 and began growing grapes shortly thereafter in the village of Barbaresco. They started bottling their own wines under the family name in 1940. Brothers Valter and Paolo Anfosso, the fifth generation in Barbaresco, now run the family estate. Loreto is the top wine of the estate, coming from 40-year-old vines within the cru of Ovello. The soils are a mix of clay and limestone, with some sand that confers additional elegance. Fermentation is in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks and aging is in large, old barrels (5000-6000 liters) for about two years. The wine is bottled unfiltered.
It has an expressive nose of dark cherries with an earthy, medicinal edge - the classic aromas of old-school Barbaresco and Barolo. In the mouth, there’s medium acidity and moderate tannin; although it’s still young, this Barbaresco is open for business. Drink it in a Burgundy stem with braised beef, mushroom stew, or an aged cheese.
